Apparatus for cleaning carpets and pile fabric materials



Aprii 19, 1938.

G. ELFER$ APPARATUS FDR CLEANING CARPETS AND FILE FABRIC MATERIhLS 2 sheets -sheat 1 Filed March 2, 1936 IN VEN TOR @EORGE EL FERS BY m EllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllH QMJA9 JORNEYS G. ELFERS April 19-, 1938.-

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CARPETS AND FILE FABRIC MATERIALS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1936 GEORGE E1. FEES M m N m T T A v 01 6m Patented Apr. 19, 1938 2,114,631

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CLEANING oAItPE'rs AND 1 PILE FABRIC MATERIALS George Elfers, Riverside, Calif.

Application March 2, 1936, Serial No. 66,647

1 Claim. (01. 15-89) This invention relates to the method of and 10. To provide apparatus employing a rotary apparaus for cleaning carpets and pile fabric shaker, the direction of rotation of which can materials. be readily changed to meet the foregoing re- Among certain of the more important objects quirements. in v ew. th f llowin a v n as il ustrat v Other objects of the invention will be apparent 5 namely: as the purpose and operation of the invention 1. To provide a continuous method of cleaning are better understood and from an examination pile fabrics while reeling and unreeling the maof the accompanying drawings, in which terial; Figure l is a View in partial section and ele- 2. To provide a continuous method of cleaning vation; l0

pile fabrics in which rapidly generated shaking Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus; impulses will be transmitted to the fabric op- Figure 3isavertical transverse section through posite the pile side thereof, such as will effecthe machine showing the loose draping of the tively loosen all particles of dust and dirt therefabric material over the shaking member in from and cause the pile to be restored to its dotted lines and showing in full lines the mate- 15 original condition; rial passing from an unwinding roll to a winding 3. To provide a method of cleaning pile fabrics roll;

in which the material can be rapidly treated Figure 4 is a transverse section through a porwithout injury thereto; tion of the apparatus showing the manner of 4. To provide a method of cleaning pile fabrics re-winding the cleaned fabric upon a roll or which will be wholly devoid of mechanical beatspindle exteriorly of the apparatus; ers; Figure 5 is a detail view of one of the end bear- 5. To provide apparatus for cleaning pile fabings for the supporting roll or spindle from which rics in which a roll of material to be cleaned the fabric to be cleaned is adapted to be unv can be quickly associated with winding means wound;

such as will enable the fabric to be automatically Figure 6 is a detail view in elevation of porrewound in operative time with the unwinding tions of the winding spindle. of the fabric and in operative time with the ac- In carrying the invention into practice, use is tion of shaking mechanism; made of a cabinet or enclosure ll] of any suit- 6. To provide apparatus in which undulatory able well-known construction, from which the 30 motions will be set up in the fabric within an dust and loose particles of dirt can be drawn effective zone, in which latter the loosened paroff by suction through a duct ll. At the front, ticles of dust can be ej r m the pparatus the cabinet is provided with a door l2 which can by induced suction; be tilted from the closed vertical position shown '7. To provide apparatus in which the cleaned in Figure 3 to the opened position shown in full 35 fabric can be readily re-rolled onto a winding lines in Figure 4. At the back, the cabinet is spindle positioned exteriorly of the cabinet of provided with a door l3 in order that access the apparatus; 7 can be had to the interior of the cabinet for 8. To provide apparatus by means of which insertion of material to be cleaned. As shown,

40 one end of the fabric to be cleaned can be readily the material is in roll form wound on a spindle 40 threaded through the apparatus for co-operative I4, removably mounted in end bearings, one of association of the fabric with the shaking mechwhich is shown at B in Figure 5. anisms and subsequently winding of the cleaned At I5 is shown a winding spindle, the supportfabric; ting shaft l6 of which is journaled in bearings 9. To provide a method of cleaning fabric ma- I! in the ends of the cabinet. 45 terial wherein the front or starting end of the Intermediate of the spindles M and I6 and material can be first'subjected to a shaking treat disposed parallel thereto is a rotary shaft l8 havment hrou a period Of time q red to ing fixed thereto a shaking member l9. This effect a thorough cleaning of said end and while member comprises a plurality of angularly reall but said end of said material is confined lated. shaking elements I 9a, preferably formed of 50 against being drawn through the apparatus and smoothly finished strips of maple, associated with the material then drawn through the apparatus each other to provide a long length, substantially at an effective speed and while subjecting sucrectangular structure, each element l9a thereof cessive or individual portions of the fabric to having an effective shaking extension 20, rounded similar cleaning treatment; at the fabric-contacting edge at 2|. These 55 rounded extensions extend, respectively, at different lengths from the structure. The axes of the spindles l4 and I6 are preferably in a common diagonal plane with the axis of the shaking member I9, as shown in Figure 3, but it will be understood that changes in this relative disposition of the parts can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is almost necessary, however, regardless of the relation of parts to each other, that the spindle l6 be disposed relative to the door l2 so that the fabric can be rewound onto a re-winding spindle 22, the end gudgeons of which (not shown) can be rotatably received in bearing brackets 23 adjacent to the ends of the cabinet and at the opposite sides of the door I2.

A gear system at one end of the cabinet is employed for the purpose of transmitting motion to the spindles l6 and I8 and, as shown, this system includes a suitable prime mover 24, such as a reversible electric motor in a power circuit 25, having'a reversing switch 26. By selected adjustment of the switch, the shaft 21 of the motor can be driven either clockwise or counterclockwise, as desired.

Trained over a small pulley 28 on shaft 21 and over, a large pulley 29, the latter fixed to the spindle I8, is a drive belt 30. On a countershaft C is a small spur gear 31 adapted to mesh with a large spur gear 32 splined to slide on spindle Hi. When said gears are meshed as shown in full lines in Figure 1, power is delivered to the spindle I6, to drive same at a low rate of speed, compared with the higher speed at which spindle I8 revolves. When, however, the gears are unmeshed, the spindle l6 may idle. Means 33 are employed for throwing the gear 32 into and out of mesh with the gear 3|, the same co-acting with a latch or retaining device 34 in .order that the selected adjustment I of the gear 32 may be retained. Fixed to aforementioned countershaft C is a large gear 35 and meshing therewith is a small gear 36 on a countershaft C Said shaft C carries a sprocket gear 37 around which is trained a sprocket chain 38, the latter also passing around a sprocket gear 39 on the spindle 18.

On reference to Figure 3, it will be noted that the front or starting end of the roll of fabric F is loosely draped over the shaker member I9. Assuming that the motor 24 is running clockwise and that the gears 3| and 32 are unmeshed, the shaker member will revolve at high speed and as the free extremities of the strips I90. are, respectively, situated at different distances from the axis of the shaker, the front end of the fabric will be periodically contacted by the strips Ida and rapid undulatory motion imparted thereto throughout such time as shall be required to thoroughly clean said end. During this operation, the spindle I6 is not in rotation.

After the front end of the fabric is cleaned as aforestated, the front end of the fabric is attached to the hooks 39 on the spindle 15. The gear 32 is now manually shifted into mesh with the small driven gear 3| on countershaft C. Assuming now that the motor 24 is running counter-clockwise, the shaker member I9 will also run counter-clockwise, and by reason of the gears 3i, 32 and 36, the spindle l5 will be turned counter-clockwise, but at slow speed as compared to the speed of rotation of the shaker. It follows therefrom that the fabric will be slowly unreeled from the spindle l4 and successive portions thereof moved across the path of the strips l9a, there being sufficient slack in the fabric between the spindles I4 and I5 to enable effective rapid shaking of the exposed portion of said fabric and in operative time with the process of slowly winding the cleaned fabric onto the winding spindle l5.

After the fabric has been fully treated and entirely wound onto the spindle 15, the door I2 can be opened and the spindle 22 mounted in the bearing brackets 23 as shown in Figure l. The outermost wound portion of the fabric can be passed from the spindle l5 and manually wound onto the spindle 22, a hand crank 40 on the latter making this easily possible.

I have now fully described the method of cleaning fabric materials and have likewise shown and described a new and novel machine by means of which the method can be practiced economically, thoroughly and quickly and with great ease and convenience. While I have referred to the. cleaning of fabric materials generally, the method is particularly useful in the cleaning of floor coverings, such as rugs and carpets, and I wish particularly to call attention to the fact that when such pile fabric materials are being cleaned, the pile side of the material is placed outside or not facing the shaker Hi. In consequence thereof, the pile is effectively loosened and restored to a more nearly normal state. The liberated dust is rapidly evacuated from the cabinet in time with operations of the shaker.

What is claimed is:

In a fabric cleaning machine, a shaker member; means mounting the shaker member to rotate about a fixed horizontal axis; the form of the shaker member being that of one having a pluralsided figure as its cross section, each side extending beyond its intersection with an adjacent side, and with such extensions of varying lengths, whereby to provide a plurality of fabric contacting strips; means for rotating the shaker; and means for feeding fabric along a path wherein-the fabric will be supported and variably undulated by the successive contact of said strips with the fabric in order to effectively shake the fabric.

GEORGE ELFERS. 

